Departure
100%
vs 95% ▲ 5
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Türkmenbaşy International Airport (UTAK/KRW) sits on the Krasnovodsk Peninsula on the Caspian Sea coast in Turkmenistan's Balkan Region, serving the city of Türkmenbaşy and the nearby Awaza tourist zone. Built from a Soviet-era interceptor base and substantially rebuilt from 2008, it now offers one of the longest runways in Central Asia together with an ILS approach, making it a notable stop for simulator pilots exploring the region.
Türkmenbaşy International Airport lies on the Caspian Sea coast in Turkmenistan's Balkan Region, serving the city of Türkmenbaşy (formerly Krasnovodsk) and the adjacent Awaza resort area. Operated by the Turkmenhowayollary State Service, it began life as a Soviet Air Force interceptor base and has since been rebuilt into a modern international gateway with a long, ILS-equipped concrete runway, making it an interesting destination for simulator pilots flying long-haul or regional sectors into Central Asia.
The airfield is located on the Krasnovodsk Peninsula on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, in Türkmenistan's Balkan Region, close to the city of Türkmenbaşy and the Awaza National Tourist Zone. It is connected to Awaza by a dedicated motorway some 22 kilometres long. No specific airspace classification or FIR boundary detail is given in the available sources.
The airfield has two parallel concrete runways aligned 16/34. The primary runway, 16R/34L, is 11,439 feet long, lit, and equipped with an ILS at both ends. The secondary runway, 16L/34R, is 8,096 feet long and unlit. Field elevation is 262 feet.
Published frequencies for the airfield are Approach on 120 MHz, Ground on 121.7 MHz, Tower on 124 MHz, and a miscellaneous frequency on 131.9 MHz. An ILS is available on runway 16R/34L, the airfield's main instrument-approach runway.
The airfield was constructed in the 1950s as a Soviet Air Force interceptor base, opening in 1959. It initially flew the Sukhoi Su-9 'Fishpot' through the 1960s and 1970s, before the resident regiment converted to the MiG-23M 'Flogger-B' in 1978. Following independence, the Turkmen Air Force took over operation of the base in the 1990s. In December 2007 the Turkmenhowayollary State Service contracted the Turkish firm Polimeks to reconstruct the airport and build a new 3.5-kilometre runway, with construction beginning in February 2008. The rebuilt Turkmenbashi International Airport received its first four international flights on 12 April 2010, and its new four-storey terminal, 61-metre control tower (fitted with Siemens and Thales equipment) and VIP facility opened around the same time. Until 2011 the field's main runway was the 16/34 pair capable of handling aircraft up to the An-225 and An-124; the new runway 16R/34L, with a PCN of 70/R/A/X/T and dimensions of 3,500 by 45 metres, was completed in 2011, enabling the airport to accept all aircraft types. Belavia began regular Minsk-Türkmenbaşy flights in October 2022. In summer 2025 the airport underwent major modernisation, including upgraded arrival and departure halls, modernised passport and customs facilities, new digital systems and runway improvements, ahead of the 3rd UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries held in Awaza; the modernised airport re-entered operation on 30 July 2025.
The airport handles both passenger and cargo traffic and serves as a focus city for Turkmenistan Airlines. Scheduled passenger services include Belavia's route to Minsk and Turkmenistan Airlines flights to Ashgabat, with seasonal charter service to Istanbul; cargo operators have included Turkmenistan Airlines, serving Ashgabat, Daşoguz and Mary, and Fly Pro to Zaragoza. Turkmenistan Airlines domestic flights connecting Turkmenbashi with Ashgabat, Turkmenabat, Mary and Dashoguz were temporarily suspended from 19 May 2025 and redirected to Balkanabat International Airport, though services to Ashgabat and Minsk were later restored following the 2025 modernisation. The airport includes a dedicated cargo terminal with automated handling and a VIP terminal used for charter, business aviation and government flights.